What Happens on the Day of Your Operation?

When you arrive on the ward you will be asked to fill in a ‘theatre ticket’ to ensure you are ready to go to theatre.

Please fill in any questions you have and we can get a member of the team to speak to you.

The ticket is a safety check to confirm important information, such as:

• your name and date of birth
• when you last ate or drank anything
• whether you have signed a consent form
• what surgery you are having.

For female patients it is important for staff to check that you are not pregnant before you have an anaesthetic. Having surgery in early pregnancy carries risks and so we normally perform a pregnancy test on all females aged 12 – 55 years old. You will be asked to provide a sample of urine for this test and the ward staff will let you know the result.

Staff in the admission ward will help you get ready for theatre. They will give you a theatre gown to wear.

• These gowns tie at the back so please keep your underwear/pyjama bottoms on if you wish to.
• Please also put your dressing gown and slippers or comfortable shoes on.
• Remove any contact lenses, nail varnish, make up and jewellery before going to theatre. You can keep your wedding ring on and wear your glasses.
• If you have a hearing aid or dentures, please do not remove these as we can do this in the anaesthetic room.

All your belongings will be secured in a sealed bag while you have your operation.

It is a good idea to visit the toilet before you leave the ward.

Most patients will walk to theatre with a ward nurse but if you cannot walk easily you will be taken in a wheelchair, trolley or bed.

When you arrive in the operating theatre suite you will either wait in the reception area or be taken straight to the anaesthetic room.

The reception area can be a busy area, with lots of people coming and going but we try to make it a reassuring, calm place. We have magazines and a seating area available.  Sometimes your wait here can take some time, so if there is anything we can provide for you such as extra blankets, please let us know.

The anaesthetic room is next to the operating theatre that you will be going to. In this room, there will be an anaesthetist and an anaesthetic nurse.

You will be attached to machines that monitor your heart, blood pressure and how much oxygen is in your blood. The anaesthetist will usually put a cannula (small plastic tube) into a vein in your hand or arm and this is used to give the anaesthetic drugs.

Everything will be explained to you as it is being done.

Following your operation you will be taken to the theatre recovery room until you are ready to return to your ward.
 
There will be a specialist recovery nurse looking after you who can give you pain killers and anti-sickness medication if you need it.

When you are ready to go back to the ward, a nurse will collect you from theatre recovery.